Mantis

[Mr.potatohead]

Hi. Has anyone bought and have good luck with the hand held mantis tiller? I've heard good and bad things about them. Or how about the club cadet weed wacker that has the rotor tiller attachment? How does that hold up? Thanks in advance

 

[bigredrooster]

I have owned a Mantis tiller for about 3 years now.I have really enjoyed it.I only use my big tiller for plowing it first .

 

[Reinbeau]

I had the two stroke Mantis for about three years. Many complain about not being able to start it after the first season, but we never had a problem with it. It was crushed when a tree fell on my shed, with the insurance money I replaced it with the Honda-engine four stroke Mantis. It's a nice little tiller for what I use it for, but for ground breaking we still use the Troy-built Pony.

 

[robbobbin]

I have used a mantis for several years now. Their a bit jumpy in my opinion but I LOVE mine. It does an amazing job.
I wasn't very impressed when the husband brought it home to me-but it grew on me.

 

[Reinbeau]

I just had to say, hubby went out into the shed tonight and pulled it twice - started right up. That Honda engine is well worth it!

 

[Tutter]

I have to agree about the Honda engines.

We use tillers, generators etc., and our son is a tech. We always recommend Honda engines over most options. The horrors of what he sees with other engines coming in would raise your hair. Not all, but many.

 

[Beekissed]

LOVE the Mantis! Very powerful for its size and good for really working up the ground. I have raised beds, so if I want to work up a bed, I just lift it up and put it inside and go to town on it. Try doing that with a Troy-Built!

 

[Blue Ridge Hillbilly]

It all depends on the application. There are some applications where a mantis would be adequate such as a raised bed where the soil has a lot of tilth and depth. A mantis here in the red clay of North Carolina would be fairly useless. It is not a question of which is better but what your application and specific needs might be.

 

[j.luetkemeyer]

I was going to invest in a good tiller until I gave sheet mulching a try. I will never till again.

 

[farmerlor]

Our soil (if you want to call it that) is just nasty. There's a layer of clay that jackhammers won't cut through followed by a layer of sand and then I'm almost sure you're right on bedrock. My little Mantis eats it up! I like my Mantis because I can start the thing, I can lift it, I can push it through this darn dirt and I can work with it all day and it won't hurt me. It maneuvers easily to get between plants and turns on a dime at the end of rows. Because of this Mantis we're actually getting this soil (if you want to call it that) conditioned to be good for growing something.